Can I use both of these ports to hard wire devices? I currently have the old version AE behind my TV (wirelessly to the main router) so I can connect my satellite for on-demand and such. I just got a new receiver with network functions that I would also like to connect the same way. Will the WAN and LAN ports on this new AE allow me to do that? Sorry I'm not entirely sure what the WAN is.
If you have configured the new AirPort Extreme to "extend" the wireless network or "join" the wireless network, both Ethernet ports behave as LAN <-> ports, so both can be used to connect Ethernet devices. If you need more ports, add a simple 5-port, 8-port switch, etc for more capacity.
The WAN port would be used to connect to a simple modem if the AirPort Express was configured to be the "main" wireless router on your network.
If you have configured the new AirPort Extreme to "extend" the wireless network or "join" the wireless network, both Ethernet ports behave as LAN <-> ports, so both can be used to connect Ethernet devices. If you need more ports, add a simple 5-port, 8-port switch, etc for more capacity.
The WAN port would be used to connect to a simple modem if the AirPort Express was configured to be the "main" wireless router on your network.
Perfect, thank you! It would be set to join/participate or whatever the language is.
As an FYI with the older Airport Express' when it is joining a network the ethernet port works. It will only work when it is extending the network.
Resource: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2272
With the new Airport Express (2nd Gen) this could be different. If possible could you post whether or not this works or not.
Thanks,
Jesse
With the new Airport Express (2nd Gen) this could be different. If possible could you post whether or not this works or not.
As noted above, it works in both "join" and "extend" modes assuming you have an 802.11n version of the Express. Model number is A1264.
(We do not answer a question unless we have tested it ourselves first).
OK I just checked and right now the Express is extending the Extreme's network. I am planning to buy the new Express tomorrow and will see what I can see as regards joining/extending/participating.
Your AirPort Express tha you have now can do this....assuming that you have the A1264 version of the Express and the newer "square" AirPort Extreme.
If the Express is set up to "extend" the Ethernet port is also enabled....so if all you need is a few more ports, simply add an Ethernet switch to your current 802.11n Express.
If you want to "extend" both the 2.4 GHz and 5 Ghz bands, the "new" Express will do this. The single band A1264 version will only "extend" one band.
If your current Express is a model A1084 or A1088, then it can "join" a wireless network, but it cannot "extend".....and the Ethernet port is not enabled on these older versions.
Does the switcher have all signals active at one time?
If you are asking about an Ethernet switch, yes.
For example, if you got a 5-port Ethernet switch, you would connect an Ethernet cable from the AirPort Express to port one on the Ethernet switch. You now have four available Ethernet ports that are all active, so four Ethernet devices could be connected simultaneously to the remaining ports on the Ethernet switch.
It's OK to leave a port or two open if you do not have enough Ethernet devices to connect to all of the ports. Soon, you likely will.
The AE works fine for this purpose, I can report. Airport Utility is ecven showing me the names of the devices I have attached.
For the record, I could not get the new AE to show up on my network until I opened up version 5.6 of the utility, which I had installed because until recently I was also using a much older AE. Once I could see it on the network and updated the firmware it showed up in the current version of the software.
I recently purchased an AirPort Express and tried it out with the four possible settings under Wireless in the AirPort Utility.
The AirPort Utility was run on a MacBook Air connected to the home WLAN. The home has a LAN/WLAN connected to the Internet by a modemrouterserver furnished by an ISP.
A global comment is that the AirPort Express and the AirPort Utility often failed to work properly after settings were changed. It sometimes helped to reboot both the AirPort Express and the MacBook on which the AirPort Utility was run. (Yes, reboot the machine, not just restart the AirPort Utility.)
* Wireless = Create new wireless network
* Internet = DHCP
* Network = DHCP and NAT
In this mode the AirPort Express connected to the LAN via the WAN port; it received a LAN address via DHCP. One device was connected to the LAN port and received from the AirPort Express the address 10.0.1.2; another connected wirelessly and received address 10.0.1.3. Both devices had access to the Internet.
* Wireless = Extend a wirless network
* Internet = DHCP
* Network = Off (Bridge Mode) [greyed out]
In this mode the AirPort express didn't connect to the home WLAN. Nothing worked.
* Wireless = Join a wireless network
* Internet = DHCP
* [No Network tab is shown]
The AirPort Express joined the home WLAN and obtained an address via DHCP. A device connected to the AirPort's LAN port was able to join the same home LAN via DHCP. Initially a device connected to the WAN port was unable to connect. However, after rebooting both the AirPort Express and the MacBook running AirPort Utility, the device connected to the WAN port was able to join the home LAN via DHCP.
* Wireless = Off
* Internet = DHCP
* Network = Off (Bridge Mode)
The AirPort Express joined the home LAN and obtained an address via DHCP. A client connected to the LAN port was able to join the same home LAN via DHCP.
This is the mode I use. I purchased the AirPort Express in order to be able to put an existing Ethernet-connected Internet radio player (with aux input) to use as an AirPlay renderer.
Ethernet out ports on new Airport Express
